The world's biggest atomic icebreaker will cost Russia an estimated $1.1 billion, with construction to start in 2013. The mega-ton ship will be capable of breaking 4 meters thick ice to help explore the Arctic shelf.

Atomflot – a sister company of Rosatom – will build the ice breaking ship, and hopes to have it ready to sail in 2015.“This icebreaker will clear the way for other vessels in Russia’s Arctic as well as tag them along the Yenisei and Ob rivers”, Atomflot told Izvestya newspaper.The new Icebreaker will be granted the highest ice class – 9, meaning the ship will be able to break ice thicker than 4 meters in the Arctic area all year round.

It will also be capable of swiftly passing through the 2.5 meters thick ice fields.

“The estimated cost will include construction work, building a shipyard etc. But the most expensive part of the icebreaker is the Rhythm-200 reactor and various pieces of know–how” Aleksey Kravchenko from OSK ship Building Corporation told Izvestya.

“By the time we get to the series we will be able to lower the cost by 30 percent” he added.

Russia is the only country in the world that is currently building atomic icebreakers and specialists say it needs them to keep control over the Arctic basin.

“Icebreakers are used to transport huge tankers to the oil and gas shelf in the Arctic region. The new type of icebreakers, capable of breaking 3 meter thick ice, could be used commercially all year round” said Kravchenko.